FreeWheel Council for Premium Video expands into Europe

Following on the success of the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video (FWC) in North America, the FWC is launching in Europe, extending its remit to champion the premium video industry on an international level.

The FreeWheel Council for Premium Video Europe (FWCE) is an advocacy group consisting, at launch, of 13 members, including major European broadcasters and operators. It is committed to serving the shared interests of those in the premium video industry through leadership positions, research and advocacy to promote the premium video economy.

“The launch of the FreeWheel Council in Europe will allow us to highlight the importance and value of premium video to a wider audience,” commented Jonathan Lewis, Head of Digital and Partnership Innovations at UK commercial public service broadcaster Channel 4. “It will provide a voice for those invested in the premium video economy and share insights that will benefit the advertising, marketing and media industries. It is a privilege to be part of the group and we’re excited to advance the industry in this fast-paced world of premium video advertising.”

To mark the creation of the FWCE the group has published its first position paper, Why Premium Video Matters for Advertisers: a European Perspective. The paper represents the first collective output for the FWCE and is built on shared market-leading insights. It provides a definition of premium video and an overview of how it differentiates itself from the digital fray.

The key takeaways from the paper are:

What sets premium video apart is its capacity to elicit engagement with both publisher content and the advertising that appears alongside it.

All too often the industry is trying to measure premium video by the standards of other formats, pinning its worth on metrics like viewability alone, without recognising its potential to engage the consumer.

In TV-like environments, brand-safety is assured and fraud is virtually non-existent and advertisers can reach real humans, engaged with content they have chosen to watch.

“We are delighted to build on the success of the FreeWheel Council in North America by offering its advocacy and thought leadership to a whole new audience in Europe,” declared Thomas Bremond, Managing Director International of FreeWheel. “We are looking forward to addressing the unique issues impacting the region.”

“To flourish, the premium video ecosystem needs to work together” added Emmanuel Josserand, Brand, Agency and Industry Relations at FreeWheel, who is spearheading the European launch. “While advocating for premium video providers, the FWCE will share compelling research and viewpoints drawn on the vast experience and knowledge of its members and beyond. We aim to work with all premium video stakeholders including the buy-side and industry bodies so we drive the industry forward together.”